The Garden State Film Festival Announces East Coast Premiere Of MAKING A KILLING

The 16th Annual Garden State Film Festival is excited to announce the East Coast premiere of "Making A Killing," a new independent feature film from Tinton Falls, New Jersey native Devin Hume (Director/Producer/Co-Writer) and Bruce Robinson (Executive Producer/Producer). Starring Michael Jai White, Mike Starr, Jude Moran, Aida Turturro, New Jersey's Jack Forcinito with Sally Kirkland and Christopher Lloyd, this twisted modern-day crime mystery BASED ON A TRUE STORY, tells the story of three morticians who get caught in a web of greed and deceit, involving buried treasure and a tangled love affair. The backstory to this film is as compelling as the film itself. "Making A Killing" will screen at the JERSEY SHORE Arts Center with the filmmakers and several cast members in attendance, on Saturday, March 24th from 8:00-10:00 p.m. during the Garden State Film Festival which runs from March 22-March 25, 2018.

When New Jersey native Devin Hume met Canadian Bruce Robinson on a beach on the Big Island of Hawaii in 2016, it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship and exciting film collaboration. Robinson had hired Hume to do camera work for a documentary interview. Their interview subject went MIA, but the two met up on that beach anyway, as Robinson offered to treat Hume to lunch. When Robinson asked Hume if he had any ideas for a feature film, not only did Hume respond with a compelling and crazy true story... but said that he also actually knew the people involved! Although initially apprehensive about investing in a murder mystery, Robinson became too intrigued to pass this one up.

Hume told Robinson that it all began when he was seeking work in a small Colorado town in 2008/09. He responded to an ad by two Mortician brothers who were looking for someone to paint their mortuary. These men were philanthropists and highly respected pillars of their community - in addition to the mortuary, they held positions on the city council and one later even became the town's Mayor. They also ran a church, owned a guitar store, a restaurant and more. Some time later, Hume enrolled in film school in Denver, but often returned to that small town to work on his film projects, as he had access to an abundance of resources there. His first few films were about Morticians because he knew them and was able to borrow their hearse, etc. During this time, Hume had begun a screenplay about these people, as he was fascinated by their life. Fast forward a few years, Hume had been away for a number of years and received a call from a friend telling him that the Morticians were suspects in a murder case. They were being accused of murdering another Mortician from a neighboring town, who was also a convicted pedophile. And there's more...much more to the story....

Winner of "Best New Mexico Feature Film" at the Santa Fe Film Fest, "Making A Killing" is only the third film to entirely shoot in Las Vegas, New Mexico (along with the original "Red Dawn" and "No Country For Old Men). The filmmakers chose this location because it had the look and feel of "anywhere U.S.A.," had an abundance of resources, perfect weather and was extremely "film-friendly."

Individual screening tickets are $15 in advance and $17 at the door. Weekend passes are $50 in advance and $55 at the door. Day Passes are also available - the Saturday Day Pass is $30 and Sunday Day Pass is $25. Tickets are available at www.gsff.org and at festival box offices. For more information about this film and other programs, please visit the GSFF website at www.gsff.org.

The Garden State Film Festival will welcome celebrities, filmmakers and fans back to its original home in Asbury Park, from Thursday, March 22nd through Sunday, March 25th at many locations for the Festival's 16th Anniversary Celebration. The four-day weekend event celebrates the best in international cinema and will feature networking opportunities, hands-on workshops, an open talent casting call, screenplay competition winner table read, intriguing and informative panel discussions, and entertaining and fun parties - all in addition to the over 220 film screenings scheduled throughout the Festival. GSFF is New Jersey's Premier Independent Film Festival and was named winner of the 2017 Global Excellence Awards 'Best Independent Film Festival - East Coast' by TMT News. For more information about the Garden State Film Festival, please visit the GSFF website at www.gsff.org.

The Garden State Film Festival (GSFF) was envisioned by 25-year film industry veteran Diane Raver and the late Hollywood actor Robert Pastorelli in 2002 and launched the following year. Since 2003, thousands of films have made their public premiers, hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have attended; and the total infusion of cash to local businesses since inception exceeds $5 million. It was held in Asbury Park, in and around the Convention Center complex. From 2014 to 2017, it was held in Atlantic City. Beginning in 2018, it will move back to Asbury Park. The GSFF is a 501-c-3 non- profit organization.